Lisa Straud moved to Los Angeles six years ago to pursue a career in screenwriting. Now, a mere 12 scripts later, her belief that she’s a special talent has been proven true, she claims.

“How else would I have almost made the top three in the San Fernando Golden Cup Scriptathon?” she asked. “I was one of just four people that almost took third place. It’s what I’ve been saying all along: I was born to write movies.”

According to Straud, the accomplishment is even more telling considering how much time she spent on the script.

“Less than a month,” she said. “I just banged that sucker out. It’s like how John Hughes used to write movies in two days or whatever. It’s in my blood.”

Straud, a waitress at a Chinese restaurant in Hollywood, also believes she’ll be a great director someday.

“Most writers don’t have the skill set required to helm a film. I’m not like most writers, though, am I?” she asked, holding up the honorable mention certificate she printed out from her congratulatory email. “Finally, some validation I can share with my friends and family.”